Rack with contents-securing means



July 6, 1937.

' J. 5. JORDAN RACK WITH CONTENTS SECURING MEANS Filed Feb. 15, 1956INVENTOR nes 1S. f0 rda n,

W ATTORN EY Patented July 6, 1937 RACK WITH CONTENTS-SECURING MEANSJones S. Jordan, Chester Heights, Pa.

Application February 15, 1936, Serial No. 63,994'

upwardly extending members I, to and between the uppermost end portionsof which is secured a shelf 2, while spaced from and below said firstshelf, any desired number of additional shelves 3 and 4 extend betweenand are pivotally secured at to said upright members.

The said shelves are preferably of different widths, and as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, comprise peripheral frame members 5, within which andextending longitudinally thereof, are positioned spaced ribs 1, whichare preferably of less vertical extent than said frame members, saidribs being adapted to support cans, boxes, or other articles 8, whichare prevented from direct lateral 5 Claims.

The object of the invention is broadly to provide improvements infolding racks, but more especially in those types which are particularlyadapted to display cans, boxes, and such other D articles, as aredisplayed by grocery and other stores of various sorts, gasoline and oilservice stations, and the like.

' Another object more specifically is to provide a rack which is readilycollapsible for shipment, and which can be altered into its operativeextended position, without requiring the use of tools of any sort, andwhich for the functions accomplished involves a minimum of expense tomanufacture.

Still another object is to provide a rack, in which when in extended oroperative position, supporting one or more cans, boxes, or otherarticles, for which it is adapted, such articles can be easily locked,both to prevent their theft, and to prevent them from becomingaccidentally lost while the rack and its contents are being trans portedfrom place to place.

A still further object is to provide in such a rack, common actuatingmeans to effect the 35 functioning of the locking means for the contentsof any or all shelves simultaneously, and conversely to provide for therelease of the said shelf contents by a reverse functioning of suchlocking means.

And a still further object is to providea rack of this type, which canalso serve as a suitable support for any desired type of displayadvertising, or other medium, without in any way being dependent uponthe other functions of the device, including said locking means.

With these and other objects in mind, the invention comprises furtherdetails of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fullybrought out in the following description, when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of adevice comprising one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on the line 2-2 of Fig. i; Fig. 3 is a similar section of thedevice, but showing the same in collapsed position for storage orshipping purposes; Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary horizontal sections onthe lines 4-=i and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is afragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the device as shownin Fig. 2, but with a plurality of cans or boxes secured upon one of theshelves by the locking means.

Referring to the drawing, the device therein illustrated as comprisingone embodiment of the invention, consists in a pair of spaced, parallel,

with the higher extending frame member.

Extending preferably parallel with, and longitudinally slidable withrespect to, the upright members I are rods 9, which are connectedtogether at their uppermost portions by a transversely extending lockingmember i0, which is adapted to perform the double function of supportingasign or the like ii, if desired, and also in its lower positionsecuring a can, box, or other article, upon the said uppermost shelf 2.Positioned at any desired distance above the shelves 3 and 4, additionallocking members it extend transversely between the slidable rods 9, andare operative in their lowermost positions to similarly secure articlesupon the respective shelves 3 and 4, positioned immediatelytherebeneath.

Pivotally connected at E3 to the upright members l are pairs ofdivergently downward extending legs M, which in extended positionoperate to support the rack as a unit, and prevent its tilting ortoppling over, either forwardly or rearwardly. To the lower portions ofthe legs of each pair are pivotally secured at [5, the respectivesections it of a bottom shelf, which as a unit extends transverselybetween said pairs of legs, the adjacent portions of said bottom shelfsections being pivotally secured together at IT, and in their lowermostor extended position, said pivotally connected portions of said sectionsbeing directly engaged and supported by the inwardly directedhook-shaped end portions I 8 of said upright members i, as shown in Fig.2. Connecting the shelves 3 and 4, both together and to one of thesections it of said bottom shelf, is a link It, which is preferablysubstantially parallel to the adjacent upright members i, so that whenthe pivotally connected portions of the sections of said bottom shelfare raised, as shown in Fig. 3, said shelves 3 and t are simultaneouslytilted angularly with respect to the upright supmovement from upon saidribs by engagement porting members I, in order that the rack as a unit,in such folded position, will occupy substantially less space whenstored, or when being shipped.

Referring back to said locking means, there is an additional lockingmember 20 which extends between and is pivotally supported by the lowerend portions of the rods 9, and in its lowermost position is operativeto engage and secure larger articles upon said bottom shelf when inoperative extended position. The locking members l2 and 2B are pivotallysecured to said rods in order that the former may tilt substantially inaccordance with the tilting of the shelves next above them, as shown inFig. 3. The uppermost locking mem ber I2 does not need to tilt, as theshelf 2 immediately thereabove also need not tilt, due to its relativelynarrow front-to-rear extent.

It will be noted in Figs. 2 and 3, that the reciprocation of the rods 9is limited by the pins 2 I, carried by the upright members i, beingslidable within grooves 22, provided in said rods 9, or vice versa. Itwill also be noted that upon the inner or adjacent surfaces of said rods9, there are secured angularly-shaped brackets 23, through the freeapertured end portions of which extend the eccentrically positionedcrank portions 24 of a shaft 25, which latter isjournalled through theupright members I, while extending loosely through elongated apertures26 in the rods 9, one end 21 of said shaft is preferably deflectedangularly, so as to form a manually operable crank, and also a lockingdevice.

As a crank, said end portion is manually movable into the full-lineposition shown in Fig. 1, by which the crank portions 24 of the shaft 25raise the brackets 23 and thereby the locking members H3, 12 and 29,into their inoperative positions with respect to the shelves immediatelybeneath them, while the crank end of said shaft, when oscillatedangularly into the dot-and-dash position 21a, operates to effect alowering of the brackets 23 and rods 9, with a consequent depression ofthe locking members I0, l2 and 26, with respect to Whatever articles maybe positioned upon the shelves immediately beneath them. 7

In order to lock the device against the theft or accidental loss ofarticles carried upon said shelves, the crank end of the shaft may befixed in its lowermost position, by securing it directly to an aperturedbracket, or the like, 28 by any suitable means, such as a padlock, orother fastening means.

It is to be understood that, while one embodie ment of the invention hasbeen hereinbefore de scribed, practically innumerable variations of thesame may be made, which still fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fol-ding rack, comprising an upright member, a plurality of shelfmembers pivotally secured to said first member, means connecting saidshelf members and operative to simultaneously change the angularrelation of said shelf members to said first member, means to securearticles upon each of said shelf members, and a reciprocatory rodslidably supported by said first member and pivotally supporting saidsecuring means, whereby said securing means can also change theirangular relation with respect to said rod, to conform to the change inthe angular position of said shelf members.

2. A folding rack, comprising an upright member, a plurality of shelfmembers pivotally secured to said first member, means connecting saidshelf members and operative to simultaneously change the angularrelation of said shelf members to said first member, a pair of angularlydirected legs pivotally connected to said first member, and a. sectionalshelf the sections of which are pivotally connected together and also tothe free end portions of said legs, and the pivotal connection betweensaid shelf sections being pivotally connected to said first member, andone of said shelf sections being connected to said connecting means.

3. A folding rack, comprising an upright member, a plurality of shelfmembers pivotally secured to said first member, means connecting saidshelf members and operative to simultaneously change the angularrelation of said shelf members to said first member, a pair of angularlydirected legs pivotally connected to said first member, and a sectionalshelf the sections of which are pivotally connected together and also tothe free end portions of said legs, and the pivotal connection betweensaid shelf sections being pivotally connected to said first member, andone of said shelf sections being connected to said connecting means, thelower end portion of said first member engaging and limiting in onedirection the movement of the pivotally connected portions of said shelfsections, and thereby cooperating in the support of said sectional shelfwhen in extended position.

4. A folding rack, comprising a pair'of upright members, a plurality ofshelf members pivotally secured to and extending between said firstmembers, a pair of reciprocatory rods carried respectively by andslidable longitudinally with respect to said first members, lockingelements connecting and extending between said rods and movable by saidrods towards and away from said shelf members, and means operative toshift said rods and to actuate said locking ele-- ments, so as to securearticles upon a plurality of said shelves simultaneously.

5. A rack, comprising a pair of upright members, a plurality of shelfmembers secured to and extending between and in normally fixed relationwith said first members, a pair of reciprocatory rods carried by andslidable longitudinally of said first members, locking means fixedlysecured in parallel relation with and extending between said rods andmovable by said rods towards and away from said shelf members, androtatable means to shift said rods and to actuate said locking elements,so as to secure articles upon a plurality of said shelvessimultaneously.

JONES S. JORDAN.

